St 1852, c 142 established the State Board of Agriculture (known also in its annual reports as the Board of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture). It was replaced successively by the State Dept. of Agriculture (St 1918, c 268) and the Dept. of Agriculture (St 1919, c 350, s 34) with an Advisory Board of Agriculture (s 35). St 1954, c 674, s 1 placed the department under the supervision and control of a new Board of Agriculture, replacing the advisory board (s 5). St 1969, c 704, s 3 placed the department within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. St 1974, c 806, s 1 (effective 1975) and St 1975, c 706, s 27 renamed the department and its supervisory board respectively the Dept. of Food and Agriculture and the Board of Food and Agriculture (also known as the State Board of Food and Agriculture). Their functions are currently described in MGLA c 20 and c 128.
NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agencies described above can be found by searching the following access points for the time period stated: 1852-1918--Massachusetts. State Board of Agriculture; 1918-1919--Massachusetts. State Dept. of Agriculture; 1919-1975--Massachusetts. Dept. of Agriculture; 1975-present--Massachusetts. Dept. of Food and Agriculture. Additional access points may be provided under: 1919-1954--Massachusetts. Advisory Board of Agriculture; 1954-1975--Massachusetts. Board of Agriculture; 1975-present--Massachusetts. Board of Food and Agriculture.
From the description of Agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145429682